Jugofilm

The lives of a Serb family are torn apart by the pressures of the not-too-distant war with the Croats. The film addresses the fundamental question "Can love survive between political enemies?" Led by Ninidze's mournful, perfectly measured performance, the work of the entire ensemble of actors is first-rate. Jerzy Palacz's subtle, controlled lensing contributes to the film's effective, if modestly budgeted, creation of a mood of inexorable sadness. One could fault its occasional lapses into didactic heavy-handedness, but such excesses don't obscure the voice of a gifted and resourceful young filmmaker.